Push-rod head



.H 1. COYLE.

PUSH ROD HEAD.

FILED MAYIS 1921 Mar. 27, 1923.

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

' UNITED STATES HENRY COYLE, OF HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA.

PUSH-BOD HEAD.

Application filed May 13, 1921.

[0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. QoYLE, a citizen of the United States, res ding at Huntsville, in the county of Madison and State of Alabama, have, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Push- Rod Heads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an lmproved ball head for engine push rods and has as one of its principal objects to provlde'adevice of this character which will embody.

a cushioning element adapted to relieve wear and friction upon an engine cam shaft as well as upon the rocker arm bushlngs of the engine.

The invention has as a further object to provide a device of this character which will prevent rattling of the ball oints between the push rods and rockers as well as tend to render the entire valve mechanism of the engine quiet and smooth in operation.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a device adapted to replace standard equipment and the application of which will require no structural change in prevalent engines of different de signs.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation showing my improved ball head in connection with a push rod and rocker of conventional design, the rocker being partly broken away and illustrated in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the device,

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the device in detail,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section showing a slight modification of the invention, and

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the blank from which the protecting jacket employed in the modified construction is formed.

As is well known, considerable difliculty is at present experienced in connection with overhead valve mechanisms of internal combustion engines in that the ball joints, between the push rods and valve rockers wear quickly, thus causing an undesirable looseness and rendering it necessary to make frequent adjustments to eliminate the resulting play between the push. rods and,

Serial No. 469,353.

the rockers. Furthermore, such looseness re-l sultsin considerable noise and annoying rattling. The present invention, therefore,

but will also tend to reduce wear upon other parts of the valve mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have, for convenience, shown my improved ball head in connection with a push rod 10 and associated rocker 11 of conventional design, the rocker being mounted to oscillate upon a shaft 12- and being arranged to coact at one end with a valve stem 13 while at its opposite end the rocker is provided with the usual ball socket 14. In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a metallic sleeve 15 preferably closed at its inner end and provided at its outer end with a boss shaped to provide a nut 16. Mounted upon the sleeve is a ball member having a spherical body 17 from which extends a tubular shank 18 surrounding the sleeve 15 gripping the sleeve, the free end edge of said shank abutting the nut 16 and the closed end of the sleeve seating against the ball member at the inner end of the shank. The ball member is thus rigidly fixed to the sleeve. preferably formed of fiber. However, I do not wish to be limited in this regard since sa d member may, without sacrificing the ob ects of the invention, be constructed of other materials such as leather, paper fiber, wood fiber, or pressed cotton, or, in fact, any composition possessing the general characteristics of fiber and having similar cushionlng qualities. As will be observed, the sleeve 15 is internally threaded to en gage the upper end of the-push rod 10 while the spherical body 17 of the ball member of the device is formed to coact with the ball socket 14 of the rocker 11. Thus, as will be appreciated, the device may, without the necessity for any structural change in either the push rod or the rocker, be readily applied and, preferably, the usual jam nut 19 is employed upon the push rod to coact with the nut 16. Accordingly, after the device has been adjusted upon the push rod, the nut 19 may be tightened against the nut 16 for locklng the device in adjustedposition. However, as will be appreciated, the device may also be readily This ball member isemployed in connection with push rods wherein adjusting nuts are arranged at the lower ends of the rods.

As will now be understood in view of the preceding description,'the ball membe'r of' the device will serve to deaden the impact of said member against the rocker 11 and thus prevent rattling. Furthermore, this ball member, being formed of fiber or similar material, will serve to reduce wear. upon the ball socket14 of the rocker while, due to its cushioning qualities, said ball nrember I will also tend to relieve thethrust of the existing troubles of conventional overhead valve mechanisms.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, I have i illustrated a slight modification of the in threaded internally to engagea push rod, as conventionally shown at 22 and fitting over vention wherein the ball member is provided with a tubular shank formed at one end with aspherical head 20 correspond'ngto the head 17 of the preferred construction while at its opposite end, said shank is formed with a boss shaped to provide a nut 21 corresponding to the nut 16 0f the sleeve 15'of thepreferred construction. The shank is the nut 21 is at protecting jacket 23. This jacket is formed from a sheet metal blankof the character shown in Figure 5. As will be observed, the blank is provided with a central opening registering with the thread ed socket of the ball member and formed in the blank, "at suitably spaced points, is a plurality of slits defining intervening tongues 24 which are'bent up to overlie the side faces of the nut. The jacket will thus protect theside faces of the nut, when a wrench is applied thereto, and will also lie.

between the nut and the usual nut 24 for protecting the bottom face of the nut of the ball member. Otherwise, thismodification is identical with the preferred construction and further description as to its use is accord'ngly believed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention,what

is claimed as new is:

1. In apush rod head, the combination of a. sleeve for attachment to the upper end/of an engine: valve push rod, and a cushioning member surmounting the sleeve for engagement with a valve rocker and provided with means connecting said member to thesleeve centering the member thereon.

2. In a push'rod head-, the combination of a sleeve for attachment to the upper end of an engine valve push rod, and a cushioning member having a spherical terminal surmounting the sleeve for engagement with a valve rocker and provided with a tubular shank; surrounding the sleeve connecting said member-thereto and centering said terminal upon the sleeve.

' In testimony whereof I affixmy' signature.

- 'HENRY J. (DOYLE. [L. s] 

